UAE court hands out strict sentences to 8 people for militant links

A UAE court handed out strict sentences, including life in prison, to five people and four in absentia with another six acquitted, who had been accused of having ties to Syrian jihadist groups, Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar Al-Sham, according to local reports.
The State Security department of the UAE Supreme Court issued the sentences for "enrollment in, joining, and collecting and transferring funds to the two terrorist organisations abroad," adding that "manufacturing explosives without a permit and polluting the environment" also formed part of the verdict.
Additionally, one of convicts has been given a 15-year sentence along with a fine of one million Emirati dirhams (USD 272,000), after his "electronic equipment was confiscated, and his website completely closed," the court was quoted by state news agency, WAM, as saying.
Another was given three years, with another eight given sentences of between one year and life for the manufacturing of explosives and polluting the environment - one of whom was also fined 15,000 dirhams (USD 4,100).
The verdicts were issued after evidence had been gathered, including documents, expert opinions and investigations, in addition to a court hearing, added the reports.